Judge Napolitano: “The Constitution and Freedom”

Came across this Tea Party video. Nice job!

Sarah Palin Keynote Speech at the National Tea Party Convention – Feb. 6th in Nashville, TN

Sarah Palin does an awesome job nailing down key points and connecting with people in a refreshing and simplified manner. It really does boil down to common-sense solutions. And even better, the speech was given without a teleprompter. She sure came in a kicked some butt!

Andrew Breitbart, a conservative commentator and publisher introduced Sarah, noting her address comes on a date notable to conservatives as late President Ronald Reagan’s 99th birthday.

(UPDATE: C-SPAN – full speech and Q&A segment)

Way to go, Sarah Palin! It’s about our country and her people, not one leader.

Sarah Palin had this to say:

“To win that war, we need a commander-in-chief, not a professor of law standing at the lectern.”

“This is the future of our country. The tea party movement is the future of politics.”

“America is ready for another revolution, and you are a part of this.”

“How’s that hope-y, change-y stuff working out for ya?”

Palin Goes After Obama at Tea Party Convention

The Democratic agenda is “running out of time,” former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said Saturday at the National Tea Party Convention, claiming that the conservative tea party movement is part of a brewing “revolution” that constitutes the “future of politics.” (read article)

Palin Garners Tea Party Support

NASHVILLE—Sarah Palin is not an official leader of the Tea Party movement, but her presence at the National Tea Party Convention here Saturday night underscored the depth of support for the former Alaska governor as someone who captures the spirit of the conservative grassroots movement. (read article)

Glenn Beck: Tea Parties are against Liars, Cheats, and Thieves (from Friday, February 5th)

Glenn Beck discusses with Greta Van Susteren the importance of the Tea Part Movement. He emphasizes that it’s not about parties; it’s about liars, cheats, and thieves.

Tea Party Movement Inspirational Video

Interesting take from the original song. Here is a patriotic version:

Here is the original by OneRepublic:

“Always remember that you are Americans, and it is your birthright to dream great dreams in this sweet and blessed land, truly the greatest, freest, strongest nation on Earth.”
~ Ronald Reagan

Born February 6, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois, today would have been President Reagan’s 99th birthday. Known as the Gipper, President Reagan passed away in June 5, 2004.

Our 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan is revered as ‘The Great Communicator’ who had a gift for optimism and always spoke of the future. Reagan stood for something who talked about building up the defense budget, cutting taxes and balancing the budget.

Courage of our 40th president’s convictions, clarity of his fundamental insights, and true inspiration attribute to his great success. Reagan was a true leader leaving a legacy behind, reminding us that he brought America into a new era of prosperity.

Happy Birthday Ronald Wilson Reagan! We miss you Ronnie — you will always remain in our hearts.

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”
~ Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan at the Republican convention on July 17, 1980 to the incumbent Democrat:

“Our problems are both acute and chronic, yet all we hear from those in positions of leadership are the same tired proposals for more government tinkering, more meddling and more control — all of which led us to this state in the first place.

“Can anyone look at the record of this administration and say, ‘Well done?’ Can anyone compare the state of our economy when the Carter administration took office with where we are today and say, ‘Keep up the good work?’ Can anyone look at our reduced standing in the world today and say, ‘Let’s have four more years of this?”

What Would Reagan Do?
On what would have been his 99th birthday, here are the Gipper’s lessons for restoring American greatness–and the keys to winning the next election.

So if he were with us today, what would Reagan do? We can answer that question by recalling the Reagan agenda. Anyone even passingly familiar with American politics knows the Reagan policies: He wanted to cut tax rates to spur economic growth. He wanted to control spending and get government off our backs, so that entrepreneurs could once again grow small payrolls into big payrolls. And so what would Reagan say about “cap-and-trade” legislation? In private, he’d rail against the stupidity of such a scheme, but in public, he would just chuckle and encourage others to laugh such foolishness off the national stage.

Tribute to Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan – A Time for Choosing (October 27, 1964)

Ronald Reagan – Tear Down This Wall

Ronald Reagan on Socialism & Liberalism

The Humor of Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan TV Ad: “Its Morning in America Again”

I was having a discussion recently with a friend of mine regarding my political background and what it means to be political. Why is this important? It is important to understand the meaning behind what I write and why I am such a strong proponent of the Tea Party movement.

Politics has always been a way to organize people together in making collective decisions based on common thought while pursuing an agenda to shape society. Over the recent decades it has become more apparent that our political system has become corrupted by the political process, damaging the two Party system by greed, power, and elitism. Republicans act like the old Democrats and the Democrats of today are the new Progressives. Neither are good for America.

Toxic politics has stunted our growth and limited progress from moving forward as a nation. You can look at our GDP, debt ratio, unemployment rates, and stance around the world. Many will argue that toeing a party line and not sticking to principles and values will eventually lead to chaos. This is evident today from both political parties where party loyalty and getting re-elected means more than standing up for country and her principles. Yes, something called our Constitution.

I was never one to get involved politically as I always walked my own path. Still do. Clearly as an independent I can rationalize thought and make decisions based on an approach that was good for me and those around me. Never had an interest in politics during my college years and I am certainly not one to follow blindly, a collective mass that would perhaps lead to going over a cliff.

It is no place of mine to convince anyone of my beliefs but only to provide a platform from which I voice my passions and concerns. To provide information in helping those make decisions in how they see fit. I continue to be my own person. I like being different. It gives me comfort knowing that I am not like the rest – dazed and confused. I could care less what people do, a “live and let live” attitude.

However, it gives me great pleasure to know that many that I have met since Obama’s election share in on many of the same core values – honesty, integrity, honor, and love for country. Living in the greatest country on God’s green earth, I see the good and the good from her people. My love for America runs deep. Our freedom and liberties should never be taken for granted. Now it is up to those like myself as part of our civil duty to uphold our nation’s greatness.

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”
~ Ronald Reagan

Let me remind my readers as a gay conservative who understands history that I am not a Republican but an American foremost; a conservative who values the very freedom that your feet tread on and the liberty that allows you to voice in agreement or opposition. It is the understanding of our past, our Founding Fathers, and historical importance of who we are as Americans. Where we have come from and why America is the beacon of liberty around the world must be understood in order to move towards a better tomorrow.

I will do everything to preserve and protect. We are Americans and we must defend our nation. Our children’s future depends on us. Let’s leave politics out and do our part to gain knowledge in taking our country back. It is “we the people” not “they the government.” Politics for purpose in this conversation is a tactic to divide and conquer. I will not let them destroy us any longer.

It’s time to step up and realize that we have a clear choice to make. Continue to support either of the failed political parties, unless something drastic begins to take shape, or to embrace the values of which the Tea Party movement offers – bringing Americans together of all political standings. Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and Libertarians come together to say, “enough is enough.”

“Recently, some have tried to portray this movement as a commercial endeavor rather than the grassroots uprising that it is. Those who do so don’t understand the frustration everyday Americans feel when they see their government mortgaging their children’s future with reckless spending.”
~ Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin: Why I’m Speaking at Tea Party Convention

Later this week I’ll head to Nashville, where I’ll have the honor of speaking with members of the Tea Party movement. I look forward to meeting many Americans who share a commitment to limited government, common sense and personal responsibility. This movement is truly a grassroots, organic effort. It’s not a top-down organization; it’s a ground-up call to action that already has both political parties rethinking the way they do business.

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From the town halls last summer to the protests and marches in the fall to the game-changing recent elections, it has been inspiring to see real people — not politicos or inside-the-Beltway professionals.

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The soul of the Tea Party is the people who belong to it — everyday Americans who grow our food, run our small businesses, teach our children how to read, serve the less fortunate and fight our wars. They’re folks in small towns and cities across this nation who saw what was happening to our country and decided to get involved. Thank God for them. Many of these good Americans had never been involved in their government before, but now they attend town hall meetings and participate in online forums. They write letters to the editor. They sign up to be precinct leaders and run for local office and support other independent patriots. They have the courage to stand up and speak out.

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Read entire article

Today, February 2nd marks the birthday of the late novelist and philosopher of Ayn Rand. Classic novels written by Ayn Rand are ‘The Fountainhead’ and ‘Atlas Shrugged’. Ayn Rand born in Russia in 1905 came to America at the age of twenty-one. She published her first novel in 1936 titled, ‘We The Living’. Published in 1943, ‘The Fountainhead’ brought Ayn Rand international fame and recognition. The publication of Atlas Shrugged in 1957 established Ayn Rand’s position and philosophy on Objectivism. It was her philosophic principles which make such individuals possible to formulate “a philosophy for living on earth.”

Chris Wolski wrote a piece in 2000 for Capitalism Magazine.

Ayn Rand began writing The Fountainhead in 1935. In the character of the architect Howard Roark, she presented for the first time the kind of hero whose depiction was the chief goal of her writing: the ideal man, man as “he could be and ought to be.” The Fountainhead was rejected by twelve publishers but finally accepted by Bobbs-Merrill. When published in 1943, it made history by becoming a best seller through word-of-mouth two years later, and gained for its author lasting recognition as the champion of individualism.

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Published in 1957, Atlas Shrugged was her greatest achievement and last work of fiction. In this novel, she dramatized her unique philosophy in an intellectual mystery story that integrated ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, politics, economics, and sex. Although she considered herself primarily a fiction writer, she realized that in order to create heroic fictional characters, she had to identify the philosophic principles which make such individuals possible. She needed to formulate “a philosophy for living on earth.”

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Click here to read entire piece

You can check out the U.S. based, Ayn Rand Institute – timeless philosophy to the concrete events that face us today.

This post in particular causes a bit of concern. This article was pulled from Reuters (and just recently also from Canadian Yahoo). The question that is raised is why did Reuters pull this story?

It is a story suggesting a backdoor tax hike will affect America’s middle class. This is a statement from Reuters:

The story Backdoor taxes to hit middle class has been withdrawn. A replacement story will run later in the week.

However, thanks to the internet, the original is still available.

Backdoor taxes to hit middle class – Tuesday, February 02, 2010
By Terri Cullen

NEW YORK (Reuters.com) —The Obama administration’s plan to cut more than $1 trillion from the deficit over the next decade relies heavily on so-called backdoor tax increases that will result in a bigger tax bill for middle-class families.

In the 2010 budget tabled by President Barack Obama on Monday, the White House wants to let billions of dollars in tax breaks expire by the end of the year — effectively a tax hike by stealth.

While the administration is focusing its proposal on eliminating tax breaks for individuals who earn $250,000 a year or more, middle-class families will face a slew of these backdoor increases.

The targeted tax provisions were enacted under the Bush administration’s Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001. Among other things, the law lowered individual tax rates, slashed taxes on capital gains and dividends, and steadily scaled back the estate tax to zero in 2010.

If the provisions are allowed to expire on December 31, the top-tier personal income tax rate will rise to 39.6 percent from 35 percent. But lower-income families will pay more as well: the 25 percent tax bracket will revert back to 28 percent; the 28 percent bracket will increase to 31 percent; and the 33 percent bracket will increase to 36 percent. The special 10 percent bracket is eliminated.

Investors will pay more on their earnings next year as well, with the tax on dividends jumping to 39.6 percent from 15 percent and the capital-gains tax increasing to 20 percent from 15 percent. The estate tax is eliminated this year, but it will return in 2011 — though there has been talk about reinstating the death tax sooner.

Millions of middle-class households already may be facing higher taxes in 2010 because Congress has failed to extend tax breaks that expired on January 1, most notably a “patch” that limited the impact of the alternative minimum tax. The AMT, initially designed to prevent the very rich from avoiding income taxes, was never indexed for inflation. Now the tax is affecting millions of middle-income households, but lawmakers have been reluctant to repeal it because it has become a key source of revenue.

Without annual legislation to renew the patch this year, the AMT could affect an estimated 25 million taxpayers with incomes as low as $33,750 (or $45,000 for joint filers). Even if the patch is extended to last year’s levels, the tax will hit American families that can hardly be considered wealthy — the AMT exemption for 2009 was $46,700 for singles and $70,950 for married couples filing jointly.

Middle-class families also will find fewer tax breaks available to them in 2010 if other popular tax provisions are allowed to expire. Among them:

* Taxpayers who itemize will lose the option to deduct state sales-tax payments instead of state and local income taxes;

* The $250 teacher tax credit for classroom supplies;

* The tax deduction for up to $4,000 of college tuition and expenses;

* Individuals who don’t itemize will no longer be able to increase their standard deduction by up to $1,000 for property taxes paid;

* The first $2,400 of unemployment benefits are taxable, in 2009 that amount was tax-free.

So, again, why did Reuters pull the story? Interesting.

Latest source – (NRO Media Blog)

President Obama’s State of the Union address was an incoherent, disorganized, and most regrettably defiant speech. In one-word, a mess, that was high on rhetoric and filled with blatent warped lies. As if it appeared he would pivot to the center, it was just that, an appearance.

Obama’s Sorry State of the Union Speech
By Kevin McCullough
As far as expectations for the State of the Union the president’s speech was a sizable failure. t was messy, incoherent, disorganized, and most regrettably defiant. Which I guess when you think of it, defines the state of our union pretty well. (Read entire article)

Krauthammer on Obama State of the Union Strange
“Tone was strained and unctuous”

Justice Alito mouths ‘not true’
By Martin Kady II
“Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests — including foreign corporations — to spend without limit in our elections,” Obama said. “Well I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people, and that’s why I’m urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to right this wrong.”

The shot of the black-robed Supreme Court justices, stone-faced, was priceless. (Read entire article)

Justice Grimaces As Obama Criticizes Court

Obama Lies About Lobbyists

Tonight, Barack Obama said, “To close that credibility gap we must take action on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue to end the outsized influence of lobbyists; to do our work openly; and to give our people the government they deserve.

“That’s what I came to Washington to do. That’s why — for the first time in history — my Administration posts our White House visitors online. And that’s why we’ve excluded lobbyists from policy-making jobs or seats on federal boards and commissions.”

Maybe this explains why his national security policies are so weak. He put William Lynn in the Pentagon as Deputy Defense Secretary. Mr. Lynn was a lobbyist for Defense Contractor Raytheon. I guess the Deputy Defense Secretary is not a policy-making job.

But it is not just Lynn.

Eric Holder, Tom Vilsack, William Lynn, William Corr, David Hayes, Mark Patterson, Ron Klain, Mona Sutphen, Melody Barnes, Cecilia Munoz, Patrick Gaspard, Michael Strautmanis

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Read entire article

McDonnell Trumps Obama’s State of the Union Speech
By Connie Hair

Speaking from the floor House of Delegates at the Virginia state capitol building in front of over 300 people, newly-inaugurated Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell delivered the Republican response to the President’s State of the Union Address last night. McDonnell was sworn in just 11 days ago after having received more votes for governor in his election last fall than any other gubernatorial candidate in Virginia history.

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“Without reform, the excessive growth of government threatens our very liberty and prosperity,” McDonnell warned. “The circumstances of our time demand that we reconsider and restore the proper, limited role of government at every level.”

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“Our Founders pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to create this nation,” McDonnell said. “Now, we should pledge as Democrats, Republicans and Independents –Americans all — to work together to leave this nation a better place than we found it.”

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Read entire article

In the bluest of blue states, Republican Scott Brown pulls out a stunning victory in the Massachusetts special Senate election over Democrat Martha Coakley. Taking over Ted Kennedy’s seat is an upset of epic proportions as this is the first time that a Republican has held the Senate seat in Massachusetts since 1972. (Boston Herald)

“There is a revolt going on in this country,” gushed GOP activist Bay Buchanan, a former adviser to Gov. Mitt Romney in his presidential bid. “Massachusetts will just inspire the patriot movement.”

What does all this mean? What will happen within the Democratic Party among those moderate and the far-left Progressives? Is this a referendum on the Obama administration? Will the health care travesty proposed by Congress finally be a dead issue. (I will cover this in more detail later)

Lots of questions and issues at hand but make no mistake that this is a sweet victory for conservatives and more importantly the saving of our Republic. The monumental message sent from Bay State voters will be a pivotal point in our history. Thank you Massachusetts and fellow Patriots for a job well done. Truly a miracle and when standing up for principles matter, the “good” will of the American people prevail.

It is a shot heard ’round the world’. ‘Can you hear us now?’

God bless and God bless America!

On the rude arch that spanned the flood
In the April breeze their flag unfurled
Here the embattled farmer stood
And fired the shot heard round the world
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Scott Brown Wins in Massachusetts: A Reaction Round-Up

Republican Scott Brown succeeded tonight in executing one of the biggest U.S. political upsets in modern history when he defeated Democrat Martha Coakley to fill out the Senate term of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy.

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Click here for entire article

Sarah Palin, via Facebook: “You know that there’s something wrong with this legislation when opposition to it inspired a Republican victory in a state that currently has no Republicans in Congress and last sent a Republican to the Senate nearly 40 years ago. Clearly this victory is a bellwether for the big election night ten months from now.”

The Massachusetts Miracle: Brown Wins, Obama Loses

Brown outperformed analysts expectations and took unexpected leads in areas such as Dartmouth, Massachusetts, where Brown was projected to need 49 percent of the vote to win, but got 53 percent. Sixty-three percent of the heavily liberal Boston area swung for Coakley — an astonishingly low margin.

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Click here for entire article

Scenes from the Scott Brown Victory Party

Massachusetts Miracle

Never Underestimate the American People